Thanks, in part, to Germany living up to its stereotype as Europe’s kinkiest commonwealth, Fifty Shades Freed defied the critics by pushing its franchise total over the $1 billion mark this weekend. It also topped (pun, as always, intended) the U.S. box office, easily beating the week’s other wide releases with $38.8…

Underneath its self-consciously provocative BDSM trappings, the Fifty Shades Of Grey series has always been about as subversive as an ad for a honeymoon resort. As the series has unfolded, the fantasy being peddled to its overwhelmingly heterosexual female audience has revealed itself to be not about kinky sex, but…

It’s a real shame that so few film or TV projects have willingly tapped into the sheer erotic force of Danny DeVito. One of America’s most prolific and beloved actors, there’s no denying that there’s a sensuality to DeVito’s performances that is often sadly ignored. But no more: A new Funny Or Die video, playing on…

So many movies, so little time. Every week brings a new crop of them, opening in multiplexes and arthouse theaters across the nation, and arriving in increasingly high volumes on streaming platforms like Netflix. How’s a voracious moviegoer to keep up? That’s where The A.V. Club comes in. The first week of every…

First of all, just to clarify: F I F T Y (yes, it’s spelled like that, with the spaces and everything) is a “museum” in the Museum Of Ice Cream sense, in that it’s an elaborate installation piece designed specifically to serve as Instagram-bait. In other words, it’s about as educational as the Fifty Shades Of Grey …

In the spirit of the eye roll-inducing attempt at a naughty sex joke that occurs two minutes in to the Fifty Shades Freed trailer, a skilled lover knows the importance of sustained momentum in helping their partner reach climax. Fifty Shades Darker, meanwhile, has a plot point that involves the film’s hero,…

Up until now, the Fifty Shades series has been about presenting people who seem to be “good” or “bad” and making them darker/lighter. The bad boy who has a sex room reveals himself to have a kind heart, and the good girl who seems naïve and innocent is totally cool with hanging out in a sex room. In this teaser for…

Floggers are for closers, apparently. According to Deadline, James Foley, director of Glengarry Glen Ross—and Fear, and the “Papa Don’t Preach” video, and 12 episodes of House Of Cards—is “the clear frontrunner” to direct the next installment in the Fifty Shades Of Grey series, Fifty Shades Darker.

We believe it was John Waters who famously once said, “We need to make books cool again. If you go home with somebody and they don’t have books, don’t fuck them.” Well, it appears that reading is back in vogue, as EL James’ Grey: Fifty Shades Of Grey As Told By Christiansold more than 1.1 million copies in trade…